1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Pachinko games and, in particular, to a Pachinko stand-alone game and to a Pachinko bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
2. Statement of the Problem
Slot machine bonusing features have become popular, and examples of their success include WHEEL OF GOLD, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY!, REEL 'EM IN, PIGGY BANKIN', and many others. What has been heretofore lacking is a bonus game which utilizes the excitement and dynamic qualities of Pachinko. A need exists to provide a form of Pachinko as a bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
One problem associated with Pachinko games, in general, is that wear and tear caused by repeated play causes bias to occur wherein a ball may more frequently pass through certain lanes rather than through other lanes. A need exists to provide random payoffs during the play of Pachinko whether as a bonus game for an underlying game or as a stand-alone game despite bias caused by wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,879 provides a Pachinko game wherein one of a fixed set of scoring value symbols (i.e., the $100, plum and cherry symbols as shown in FIG. 4) associated with each scoring slot is selectively illuminated for the entire game. A random number generator has a plurality of numbers which are assigned to each of the value symbols so that at the insertion of a bet, the random number generator identifies which of the three possible value symbols will be active in each scoring slot for that particular game. While this solves the above-stated need to overcome bias, it limits payoff to a fixed or static number of value symbols provided at each slot. Once a set of values are allocated, the random selection merely reassigns the allocated values to new scoring slots in the next game. In order to provide a higher payoff, the '879 patent provides a "free" game. If during the "free" game the player hits a back-to-back jackpot, then a large payoff is made. For example, when the player receives three "100s," the player receives a "free" game. In the "free" game, if the player again receives three "100s," the player wins the large payoff. A need exists to provide a Pachinko game that does not provide a static number of payoff value symbols for each slot and also provides a full range of higher payoff awards without the requirement of a "free" game. A need also exists to provide displayed payoff values at each lane that change during the play of the game.
Finally, a need also exists to provide additional excitement to the conventional play of a game such as video poker, slot machines and the like by providing additional random play in the dispensing of different values when a winning combination on the game is obtained.